Mark Dever Interviews John Piper on Five Decades of Ministry

Finding Joy in Suffering | The Spiritual Gift of Mercy

Spiritual Gifts Series: Mercy Howdy folks! On this season of the Real Marriage Podcast, we want to help you find out what gifts you have and how you can use those to serve your spouse and minister to your family. Also along the way we will be sharing some stories of church leaders from the past with marriages that inspire us! Each week will be discussing a different spiritual gift to help you not only identify the gifts you have, but excel in them for the glory of God. On this weeks episode we are talking all about the serving gift of mercy. Quick Quotes: "the Bible commands us to love our neighbor, well our closest neighbor is always our spouse" Links/Offers mentioned in this episode: Spiritual Gift Guide Text 'GIFTS' to 31996 to get a free copy of our Spiritual Gifts guidebook 21 Day Inner Healing Book Visit 21dayinnerhealing.com to order your copy today. Faithful Counseling Go to https://getfaithful.com/realmarriage for 10% off your first month XO Marriage exists to help couples have a healthy and strong marriage. We do this by hosting conferences, creating resources, and offering encouraging digital content. Our world-class speakers offer leading marriage advice to equip couples with the necessary tools for a successful marriage. We believe that every marriage can thrive. ‍ XO CONFERENCES XO Conferences are a live environment for couples to come together, be encouraged, and learn from leading marriage experts. Conferences offer a Biblical perspective on marriage and allow couples to connect and grow in a fun and encouraging setting. ‍ XO PUBLISHING XO Publishing, founded in 2019, exists to create marriage books and resources for couples in every stage of their relationship. Our vast library of content offers a more in-depth learning experience for couples, small groups, and churches. ‍ DIGITAL MEDIA Through podcasts, videos, blog posts, and more, we create engaging and relevant content for people to connect with online. Our content is centered around providing couples with tools and teachings to establish and maintain a strong foundation for their marriage.

Tim Keller - Truth Without Love, Love Without Truth | KL2020 Plenary T...

Summit View Church - CG Coach Week #6 - 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2

CG Coaching for Week #6 - 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2

Sunday, July 12th  -  Pastor Kyle Van Tine  -  "Compelled by Christ's Love" 

Many times, we are blind to the motivations of our own heart - fame, money, power, acceptance, love, shame, guilt… the list could go on for a while. God knows. God sees our heart, piercing its depths and seeing the very attitudes and motives that drive our outward actions. Paul knows what motivates him. He is motivated by fearful awe and love for God because he has been stripped of being motivated by the things this world offers. Paul understands that he is deeply known by an infinite God. Paul knows that his sin separates him from his Creator and that his sin destines him for God’s just wrath. God is not impressed by the things people are impressed with - gifts, accomplishments, knowledge, eloquence. We cannot reconcile and make peace with God ourselves through anything we do, no matter how impressive we think they are. Instead, God did it all Himself. God fixed it. He created a way for us, sinners destined for justice from a just God, to be reconciled to Him. By our repentance and faith in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we are made free from shame and guilt. Free from alienation from God. Free from eternal condemnation. We are people who are motivated by the good news that Christ paid the cost for us so we can live in peace with God. We are freed from bondage to the worldly idols that used to motivate us and can, instead, live a deeply revolutionary life, a reconciled life, fueled by a missionary heart. We are a new creation filled with wondrous new desires. The controlling force in our lives is now Christ, who compels us to see beyond the shallow self-filled life, and who gives us rest in the joy of a God-centered life. Out of the desires of our new life, we can use our spiritual eyes to look past the external image people around us strive to maintain, to look deeply at them as souls known by God and in need of a Savior. 

Read 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, Romans 5:10-11 and Romans 12:1-2.

The gospel is transforming; our thoughts and deeds are changing. We have been given Christ’s perfect righteousness, counted by God as belonging to us. 

What kinds of motivations have you seen that cause people to get involved in church?

How does the knowing that we will be accountable to Jesus as our Judge motivate us to live sincere and holy lives?  

Because Jesus loved us and died for us, He has given us the Holy Spirit and the ability to begin to die to our sinful self.  How have you died to yourself so that you can live for Jesus? What areas of your sinful life need to die this week and what will it look like to live for Jesus in those areas?

How does knowing you don’t need to impress God or earn His approval and affection liberate you to live for Him?

How does recognizing others as souls change how you see  people in your life, both the easy and difficult?

How will you live as an Ambassador of Jesus and His Kingdom this week? (Practically – Who will you serve? Who will you pray for? Who will you meet with?)

Recommended Reading: Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller

Summer Preaching Series 2015 - Brian McCormack

Enjoyed listening to my old classmate Brian McCormack's sermon at the Austin Stone this Sunday. Brian is the Lead Pastor of Reach Church in Seattle Washington which is one of the fastest growing churches in the city. Hope you are blessed by his message. 

Compelled to Serve 2 Corinthians 4:1-15 Summit View Church

CG Coaching for Week #4 - 2 Corinthians 4:1-15

Sunday, June 28th  -  Pastor Kyle Van Tine  -  2 Corinthians: A Church Compelled
"Compelled to Serve" (2 Corinthians 4:1-15)

Listen to "Compelled to Serve" here

GROWING DEEPER

Being exposed to God has a compelling transformative power. As Moses’, face was physically transformed to shine when exposed to God’s glory, likewise, our hearts are transformed. For us, though, it is a permanent glory that does not fade. When we accept Christ as Lord our lives are forever changed. Daily, as we think on the gospel, God is doing a heart-work in us, sculpting us and unveiling to us His truth so that we do not lose heart when we see the word of God being distorted and watered down. We must be bold in our faithfulness to the gospel and in our prayers for those whose hearts are veiled to the truth. We must not be tempted to change our message for the hearers. John Calvin clarifies that “the blindness of unbelievers in no way detracts from the clearness of the gospel, for the sun is no less resplendent because the blind do not perceive it.” We must continually point the blind to Christ as the light they need in their lives to rid themselves of their blindness. We are fragile clay vessels that show, from our joy in the face of suffering, the everlasting power of the Creator God who does not abandon us but sustains us with his Word. God’s light grows as our weakness does. It is a strange and magnificent paradox that our weakness invites the strength of God. In our weakness we can reveal God’s light of grace into a dark and perishing world.

Read Revelation 7:9-10

• Paul’s boldness and joy in suffering for the gospel comes from his focus on the future hope of eternity with God. Do you live today with a future hope that sees eternity as our ultimate destination?
• How have the Scriptures come alive and been life changing to you? What might need to change in your life to allow this to happen?
• How have you personally experienced the unique challenges of the Christian life that Paul highlights in verses 8-9?
• How are you being daily transformed by Christ?
• How has your weakness glorified God and displayed his power? (John 12:24-26)
• How have you seen or experienced the spiritual blindness that Paul mentions in verse 4 either in yourself, your family or in the world?

CG Coaching "Compelled to Reflect God to Others" 2 Cor 2:12-3:18